2014 was filled with excitement & change. A few noteworthy things that happened were:
- a 1400 mile move from Austin, TX to an intentional farm community in the hills of West Virginia
- my first year as a full time freelancer (that deserves a post of it’s own)
- struggling through several months of data-capped (goodbye NetFlix & Skype) , temperamental satellite internet (cloudy = intermittent internet) to finally be blessed with a bonded copper line offering unlimited “highspeed” internet
- the launch of amalacreative.com
- having a garden & learning how to can things (salsa & pickles anyone?)
- learning how to milk cows & regularly doing it 🙂
While last year was filled with change & the challenge of attempting to balance everything – this year it’s time to get into a groove & optimize. The grounding that being back on a farm, working with the earth & the animals has provided is priceless. I may have not earned as much as I have in previous years, but, I have acquired an abundance in terms of quality of life & overall happiness. That being said, I’m setting a few intentions to ensure that 2015 will be a fruitful journey of it’s own. Some of those intentions are:
Professional
- respond to work-related e-mails within 24-48 hours as the standard & 72 hours being reserved for worst case scenario or e-mails that require action or an above average response time
- update Amala Creative at least once a month
- blog – at least once a month in efforts to identify my voice & find what I have to contribute to the community
- re-purpose elisemccabe.com as a resume site & have Amala Creative serve as my portfolio site
- attend a least 1 WordCamp each year (last year was WCSF. this year…suggestions?)
- set aside some time regularly for business development (daily, weekly?)
Personal
- develop a regulated schedule – optimize my day to get in as much as peacefully possible
- exercise regularly (at least 3x a week)
- be present – in other words be more conscious, mindful & present of what I’m doing, when I’m doing it
- do art for fun…always have a side project going
- optimize possessions & shoot for increased minimalism
This is by no means an all inclusive list, but more like setting the trajectory for the new year. Maybe I will come back throughout the year to refine the bullet points, perhaps add one or two, but at least it’s a start.
If y’all are so inclined to share, I’d love to hear what some of your intentions for the year to come are in the comments section.